One day while the renowned Raja Vikramaditya of Ujjaini was holding his court, a Rakshas (demon) appeared with two old human skulls and placing them before His Majesty, bowed, and addressed him “ I have come to test how worthy is your Majesty as a reader of mysteries. Here are two skulls, examine them and tell me which one of them is of a man and which of a woman. I give you a week’s time. I will come again on the eighth day, and if your Majesty gives a correct reply, well and good, otherwise I will devour all the men and the beasts of your kingdom.” Saying this the Rakshas vanished.
After the Rakshas had disappeared, the courtiers looked at one another’s face and kept silent. The king solemnly asked the Navaratna (the nine gems) of his darbar (court) if they would be able to solve the problem, but they nodded their heads in negative. The "Nine Gems" as they were called, were the as many celebrated men of the time and the immortal Kavi (poet) Kalidas was their head. The king dismissing his darbar retired to his andar mahal (inner court) with an anxious mind.
The rumour, that the Raja could fail to find out a reply to the query of the Rakshas and that the demon would come on the eighth day and devour everybody, spread like wild fire all over the kingdom. This caused a great panic and a regular stampede began. Before the day fixed for the arrival of the demon the kingdom was entirely deserted. Even the “nine gems” of the court dared not stay. The king and the members of the royal family, were the only persons that remained in the kingdom.
The poet Kalidas was the last to leave the town. On the evening of the seventh day, that is the evening preceding the morning of the Rakshas's advent, he left the town and went into a thick forest which stood at the outskirt of the capital. When he had gone into the midst of the jungle, the shades of the night became thick and he missed his way. The ferocious beasts of prey came outside from their dens in search of food, and the forest began to resound with their howls. The dull night air moaned deeply as if to lament over Kalidas’s distress. The dark gloomy night looked awful. Kalidas’s heart beat audibly. He was at his wit’s end. At last mustering up his courage he climbed up an old big Banyan tree to save himself from falling a prey to the wild beasts. He tied himself up against a branch with his pagri (turban) to prevent an involuntary fall.
In this state, more dead than alive, the poet clung to the branch for some time. As the night advanced, the beasts of the jungle began to return to their dens after having satisfied their hunger. The moon which had up till now been giving light to the other half of the world began to peep from the eastern horizon and the forest assumed a milder aspect. When there was a dead calm, a conversation in low tone from the tree-top attracted Kalidas’s ears, he heard two voices speaking as follows :
First voice — “Dear ! Have you not promised to satiate my yearning for human flesh? I hope, you will not be unmindful of your promise ”
Second voice — “Yes, my love ! I have not forgotten it "
First voice — “But, pray, dear, when would the happy day come? You have kept me long in expectation.”
Second voice — “Tomorrow, in any quantity dear one”
First voice— “Any quantity! How can that be?"
Second Voice. — “I have devised a plan and if it succeeds we would have a big feast over human flesh for some days together. I have presented before the Raja Vikramaditya a couple of old human skulls : one of a male and the other of a female, and have asked him to distinguish the one from the other within seven days which would expire today. If the Raja fails, and fail he must, as the solution of the problem is far beyond the reach of human knowledge, the men and the beasts of his realm will be our victuals. Is it not a good plan ? my love !”
First voice — “ Yes, dear. But pray tell me how the problem can be solved ?”
Second voice — “No human science can solve it ; there is only one practical way which is unknown to men, and it is this : If a flexible wire be pressed into the ear-hole of the skull and if a male presses then it makes its way towards the throat it must be a male skull. But if a female presses the ear-hole then it will make its way towards the mouth.The reason is, that men, being entrusted with a secret keep it safely in them and do not speak it out unless a woman asks because men can be pressed by a cunning woman to part with any secret they hold close. But with the female skull the case is otherwise. The wire when pressed through the ear-hole is sure to pass out by the mouth because no sooner are women confided with a secret than they speak it out. Do you think, any human intelligence could be shrewd enough to unravel such a mystery ? Pray, don’t be annoyed with me dear, you may not like that I have talked about women this way
First voice — "Certainly not, dear. The plan is excellent indeed ! I only wish that the day had dawned earlier.”
The speakers stopped and Kalidas’s heart leapt with joy. He remained motionless for a few minutes, and then with the utmost caution to avoid the least chance of creating a noise, he slowly climbed down and ran towards the capital as fast as his legs could carry him. On he went, all the way running, and just as the day dawned he reached the palace gate, panting for breath. He met the king and told him of his adventure and good luck. The happy tidings spread throughout the kingdom and the people began pouring back in numbers. The “Nine gems” assembled and before midday, everything was almost in its former order again.
The Rakshas came at the appointed time and asked the king for the reply to his query. The king pointed out Kalidas as the person who would give the reply. The two skulls were brought out and Kalidas pressed a wire through the ear-hole of one of the skulls and finding that it passed towards the throat, he said, it was of a man and explained the reason. He then tried the other skull and the wire being pressed into its ear-hole went out by the cavity of the mouth. He declared it to be a female skull, and gave the reason. The Rakshas was not very happy to find that human intelligence and knowledge were not inferior to theirs but the question had been answered. He bowed to the king and disappeared. He was heavily admonished by his greedy spouse on his return home with the unwelcome news of his failure.
After the Rakshas had disappeared, the courtiers looked at one another’s face and kept silent. The king solemnly asked the Navaratna (the nine gems) of his darbar (court) if they would be able to solve the problem, but they nodded their heads in negative. The "Nine Gems" as they were called, were the as many celebrated men of the time and the immortal Kavi (poet) Kalidas was their head. The king dismissing his darbar retired to his andar mahal (inner court) with an anxious mind.
The rumour, that the Raja could fail to find out a reply to the query of the Rakshas and that the demon would come on the eighth day and devour everybody, spread like wild fire all over the kingdom. This caused a great panic and a regular stampede began. Before the day fixed for the arrival of the demon the kingdom was entirely deserted. Even the “nine gems” of the court dared not stay. The king and the members of the royal family, were the only persons that remained in the kingdom.
The poet Kalidas was the last to leave the town. On the evening of the seventh day, that is the evening preceding the morning of the Rakshas's advent, he left the town and went into a thick forest which stood at the outskirt of the capital. When he had gone into the midst of the jungle, the shades of the night became thick and he missed his way. The ferocious beasts of prey came outside from their dens in search of food, and the forest began to resound with their howls. The dull night air moaned deeply as if to lament over Kalidas’s distress. The dark gloomy night looked awful. Kalidas’s heart beat audibly. He was at his wit’s end. At last mustering up his courage he climbed up an old big Banyan tree to save himself from falling a prey to the wild beasts. He tied himself up against a branch with his pagri (turban) to prevent an involuntary fall.
In this state, more dead than alive, the poet clung to the branch for some time. As the night advanced, the beasts of the jungle began to return to their dens after having satisfied their hunger. The moon which had up till now been giving light to the other half of the world began to peep from the eastern horizon and the forest assumed a milder aspect. When there was a dead calm, a conversation in low tone from the tree-top attracted Kalidas’s ears, he heard two voices speaking as follows :
First voice — “Dear ! Have you not promised to satiate my yearning for human flesh? I hope, you will not be unmindful of your promise ”
Second voice — “Yes, my love ! I have not forgotten it "
First voice — “But, pray, dear, when would the happy day come? You have kept me long in expectation.”
Second voice — “Tomorrow, in any quantity dear one”
First voice— “Any quantity! How can that be?"
Second Voice. — “I have devised a plan and if it succeeds we would have a big feast over human flesh for some days together. I have presented before the Raja Vikramaditya a couple of old human skulls : one of a male and the other of a female, and have asked him to distinguish the one from the other within seven days which would expire today. If the Raja fails, and fail he must, as the solution of the problem is far beyond the reach of human knowledge, the men and the beasts of his realm will be our victuals. Is it not a good plan ? my love !”
First voice — “ Yes, dear. But pray tell me how the problem can be solved ?”
Second voice — “No human science can solve it ; there is only one practical way which is unknown to men, and it is this : If a flexible wire be pressed into the ear-hole of the skull and if a male presses then it makes its way towards the throat it must be a male skull. But if a female presses the ear-hole then it will make its way towards the mouth.The reason is, that men, being entrusted with a secret keep it safely in them and do not speak it out unless a woman asks because men can be pressed by a cunning woman to part with any secret they hold close. But with the female skull the case is otherwise. The wire when pressed through the ear-hole is sure to pass out by the mouth because no sooner are women confided with a secret than they speak it out. Do you think, any human intelligence could be shrewd enough to unravel such a mystery ? Pray, don’t be annoyed with me dear, you may not like that I have talked about women this way
First voice — "Certainly not, dear. The plan is excellent indeed ! I only wish that the day had dawned earlier.”
The speakers stopped and Kalidas’s heart leapt with joy. He remained motionless for a few minutes, and then with the utmost caution to avoid the least chance of creating a noise, he slowly climbed down and ran towards the capital as fast as his legs could carry him. On he went, all the way running, and just as the day dawned he reached the palace gate, panting for breath. He met the king and told him of his adventure and good luck. The happy tidings spread throughout the kingdom and the people began pouring back in numbers. The “Nine gems” assembled and before midday, everything was almost in its former order again.
The Rakshas came at the appointed time and asked the king for the reply to his query. The king pointed out Kalidas as the person who would give the reply. The two skulls were brought out and Kalidas pressed a wire through the ear-hole of one of the skulls and finding that it passed towards the throat, he said, it was of a man and explained the reason. He then tried the other skull and the wire being pressed into its ear-hole went out by the cavity of the mouth. He declared it to be a female skull, and gave the reason. The Rakshas was not very happy to find that human intelligence and knowledge were not inferior to theirs but the question had been answered. He bowed to the king and disappeared. He was heavily admonished by his greedy spouse on his return home with the unwelcome news of his failure.
